Organizers of the 2016 AT&T Byron Nelson golf tournament hope to raise $14 million through sales this year, up from the $13.4 million that was raised last year. Net proceeds from those sales will go to support Dallas’ Momentous Institute, a nonprofit serving needy children and their family members with education and mental health programs. Reaching the 2016 goal—which would include $6.5 million in net proceeds—would mean that nearly $150 million will have been raised for charity since the tourney’s inception. That’s more than any other PGA Tour event.
Scheduled this year for May 16-22 at the Four Seasons Resort and Club in Las Colinas, the tournament has been hosted since 1968 by the Salesmanship Club of Dallas, which owns and operates the Momentous Institute. This year will be AT&T’s second as the title sponsor. The 2016 tourney’s total purse this year will be $7.3 million, with $1.31 million of that going to the champion. Dallas phenom Jordan Spieth, 22, who has seven tour wins to his credit and was last year’s PGA Player of the Year, has committed to attending The Nelson.
At a “media preview” event Tuesday at TopGolf Dallas, 2016 tournament chair Tim Marron said this year’s tourney would include a Youth Golf Clinic—possibly hosted by Spieth—at the Four Seasons on May 17, as well as Pavilion After Dark entertainment by Hudson Moore (on May 20), the Limelight Band (May 21), and David Nail (May 22).
Michelle Kinder, executive director of the Momentous Institute, said the organization is serving 6,000 children and family members annually. Most of the families are living in poverty and receive therapeutic services leading to a reduction in the use of corporal punishment, for example, or to significant improvement in self-control. Last year, the institute benefited from net tournament proceeds of more than $5.6 million.
